Our Focus
We protect democracy in our state by empowering people and changing policies.
Democracy North Carolina is the leading organization in the state when it comes to combining original research, policy advocacy, grassroots organizing, civic engagement and leadership training to improve democracy and advance the common good.
All of these activities overlap and strengthen our overall effectiveness and they all go to the core of our mission. This integrated approach helps us remember that, ultimately, numbers and policy affect the lives of real people. In general, we focus our resources on:
Original Research
No other group in North Carolina has done more to document the connection between big money campaign donations and their often corrosive effect on election outcomes, government ethics, legislation and public policy. We use our research to inform voters as well as to strengthen our advocacy, organizing and public outreach strategies.Our research has exposed corruption in office, inspired stricter ethical standards for elected officials, improved campaign finance reporting and identified model reforms for our state.
Click here to learn more about our research.
Issue Advocacy
We do more than point out the flaws in the system. We also help structure and win improvements to procedures and regulations that affect voting, government, campaigns and elected officials in North Carolina. We begin by using our research expertise to find out what other states are doing to address similar problems. We then pursue workable pro-democracy reform by advocating for practical legislative changes and winning the support of both government and nonpartisan partners. We educate our grassroots volunteers and the general public on the proposed changes and help implement reforms once enacted. We monitor policy changes closely, once again using our research expertise to track the effectiveness of new programs.
Click here to learn more about our issue advocacy activities.
Grassroots Organizing
Our organizers lead local civic coalitions in cities like Charlotte, Greensboro, Greenville, Fayetteville and Winston-Salem. Statewide, we have built a dedicated grassroots volunteer base consisting of thousands of people who take action on our issues.
Click here to learn more about our grassroots organizing activities.
Civic Engagement
We educate and empower voters year-round and help other groups do the same. Our goal is to instill a permanent mindset of citizen ownership over the elections and policy-making processes and inspire a commitment to civic participation.
Click here to learn more about our civic engagement activities.
Leadership Training
North Carolina's future depends on our ability to inspire new leaders. That's why we target younger voters for civic participation, conduct leadership training for our partners, recruit role models from underrepresented groups to serve on our staff and serve as mentors to young organizers through such programs as Democracy Summer, a renowned training program for college students that teaches them the fundamentals of effective advocacy.
Click here to learn more about our leadership training activities.
Souls to the Polls 2008
This effort encouraged faith communities to register new voters; educate voters on the candidates; promote Same-Day Registration; convince local boards of elections officials to open more Early Voting sites, including on Saturdays and Sundays; and sponsor Get Out the Vote events. This initiative also helped inspire over 2 million people to vote early in the November election -- increasing turn-out in NC to record levels and reducing congestion at the polls on Election Day.
